A shop front is a business’s 24 hour-a-day cheerleader. By day it should entice people in to discover more about the services offered and/or to make a purchase. By night, it should be your brand ambassador – an influencing presence that works on a subliminal level when your shop is closed.
Including innovative shop front ideas when reinventing your exterior will create a positive first impression, and a striking design has the ability to stop people in their tracks. Our full range of shop fit services includes exterior refurbishments and redesigns, so let’s explore some great shop front design ideas.
Modern Shop Front Designs
Design, manufacturing and tech advancements mean a modern shop front has never been more achievable. Here we look at the different components that make up a show stopping façade.
Window Displays That Wow
We’re often asked ‘How do I make my shop front stand out?’ and for us, it’s all about keeping things fresh. A creative window display that’s changed on a regular basis can become an amazing talking point – and also might get your store trending on social media. Consider changing your display in line with seasons and milestone events
Your display starting point should be glazing. A tall, wide window allows for impactful displays and also gives passers-by a generous glimpse inside. MPL will ensure you have the right power, data and light supplies to make a stand-out statement.
Distinctive Signage
The shop front fascia – which is usually the strip above the glass - is where you can really have fun and apply modern shop front ideas. The fascia should clearly tell passers-by the name of your store, and the design should reflect your corporate colours and may include your logo too.
MPL can specify a myriad of lettering styles and creative approaches, from traditional hand-drawn sign writing styles to 3D acrylic letters. A projecting sign is a great addition to a shop front too as it can help people find your store from a distance.
Lighting Magic
When discussing shop front ideas, the MPL team pays particular attention to lighting. Some form of illumination is essential in the UK, as it can get dark by 4pm, while lights will make your shop glow after hours.
Sustainability is high on our list, so we prefer specifying LED lights and timers. When it comes to facias, we can choose from trough lighting, swan neck sign lights, and halo lit or internally illuminated letters.
Branding and Consistency
Your shop front should be aligned with your brand in every sense. Here’s how you can achieve corporate consistency.
Reflecting Your Brand
The best brands have something about them that’s instantly recognisable, whether that’s a logo, a set of corporate colours or even a font. It’s this essence that needs to be reflected in the shop front design ideas that are in development. For example, if your corporate colours are green and blue, these should be used on the exterior in some way.
Continuity Across Channels
Commerce is omnichannel and your business will have additional consumer touchpoints over and above your shop front. If you’re overhauling the aesthetics of your exterior – especially if you’re changing colours, fonts and contact details - be sure this is reflected across all of your online and offline channels. Failure to do so can damage brand perceptions and lead to confusion.
Practical Considerations
By all means, let your imagination run wild but shop front design ideas need to be practical as much as they are visually perfect.
Constraints and Restrictions
Before you get carried away with shop front design ideas, it’s vital to acknowledge whether the premises is subject to any constraints and restrictions. If you rent space, always check with your landlord in regards to planned changes.
Projects managed by MPL will always include a discovery stage, during which our experts will check whether the premises is listed, is in a Conservation Area or is subject to any other covenants. Our team will also manage planning permissions, listed building consent, advertisement consent and building regulations.
Accessibility and Signage Clarity
You may have fallen in love with an ornate script font but will it be readable when applied to a shop front fascia? How about the practicality of a single, manual-pull entry door if parents with buggies are your target customer?
At MPL, we consider aspects such as the legibility of signage fonts and visibility after dark, so it’s clear where the store is and who it belongs to. We’re also up-to-speed with The Equality Act of 2010 and Part M of The Building Regulations Access – the legal requirements that pertain to accessibility for all.
Window Graphics and Decals
A big part of what makes a good and appealing shop front is what’s applied to the glass. Window graphics and vinyl details can be subtle and small, or big and bold. They can also make a good alternative to a traditional window display.
At the very basic end of the shop front ideas spectrum are contact details. A store’s opening hours, social media handles, telephone number and website can be applied to the glass as a permanent addition. It’s also possible to order a QR code that takes passers-by to a designated web page – perhaps one that links to a promotion.
At the other end of the spectrum are lavish window graphics. Usually intricate or highly-detailed, these can take the form of colour borders around the edge of the window, stunning laser-cut silhouettes or semi-opaque designs. Care, however, should be taken to find the right balance between clear sight lines into the shop and exterior interest.
Conclusion
A shop front remains one of a company’s most powerful marketing tools, so don’t waste the opportunity to bring your brand to a new audience’s attention, attract custom and assert your commercial prowess.
The best shop fronts balance corporate branding with creativity and consistency. It’s a good thing to be a little bit quirky, as long as the offering and messaging are clear. MPL can start helping with your retail interior design needs today – get in touch and we’ll share our portfolio of shop front design ideas with you. Let’s schedule some studio time.
